Kezan
(28,400) (6,000) (2,000) (800) (800) (400) (400) (400) (400) (400) |loc=Mid South Seas |major=Bilgewater Port (14,000) Edj (4,000) Voodress Village (1,000) |minor=Several |rulers=The goblin trade princes |government=Corporate |affiliation=Independent |source=''Lands of Mystery'' pg. 74 }} The Isle of Kezan (Sometimes spelled "Kazan") is the tropical island homeland of the goblins. It was once inhabited by the trolls. The Undermine is located beneath the island. While Kezan was not officially announced as a zone in the third expansion, World of Warcraft: Cataclysm at the Blizzcon 2009 convention, it is referred to in the official Blizzard Cataclysm FAQ as being part of the game, leading to speculation that the Goblin race will experience a phased instance of Kezan in their earliest levels before being set loose in the Lost Isles (the official starting zone for the Goblins).http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/cataclysm/faq/ Introduction Goblins are in charge on the Isle of Kezan, making the whole place a swarming cesspool of corruption, chaos, scheming and invention. Several cities exist on Kezan, including the nefarious Undermine, the de facto capital of the goblins’ trade empire. Kezan is a tropical island, and palm trees and other greenery appear in profusion. Kezan’s many ports bustle day and night as merchant ships approach and depart, carrying goods of all sorts to places of all sorts for people of all sorts. Kezan is a valuable way station between the eastern and western lands, and almost all travelers stop here, whether traveling by ship or gryphon or more esoteric means. The island is the heart of the goblins’ mercantile efforts, pumping trade throughout Azeroth. Kezan is the largest and southernmost of the South Seas islands, and, despite the goblin presence, the safest. Unlike the surrounding islands, Kezan’s inhabitants won’t try to kill you on sight; rather, they first attempt to take your money and all your worldly possessions, then leave you to die on the rain-soaked cobblestone streets. Kezan’s ports are valuable neutral areas for both the Alliance and the Horde, and if not for the goblins trade would grind to a standstill and there wouldn't be adventurer shops in places like Stranglethorn Vale. History No particularly noteworthy events have happened in Kezan. The goblins created the Undermine and beat up the trolls pretty bad; since that time, they’ve ranged out and allowed people of all races to buy silly merchandise at exorbitant prices. They allied themselves to the Horde in the Second War (because the orcs paid and/or intimidated them), but in the Third War they were a neutral force, making money off every side. People and culture Goblins are short and green and they don't laugh; they cackle. They wear leather clothing, often cut into aprons to protect themselves from the caustic fluids they handle. Their entire culture is focused on mercantile enterprises, and they work hard to expand their markets in any way possible. Most goblins seem friendly but insane. Goblins can be cutthroat merchants, and this ruthlessness is more prevalent on Kezan than anywhere else — probably because the goblins are competing against their own kind. While goblins answer to no king or other such titular head, a collection of trade princes rules their merchant empire, which is called the Trade Coalition. Officially, five trade princes exist, though one or two may be lurking about in the shadows. The goblins don’t elect their trade princes, nor are the positions hereditary; the trade princes killed, blackmailed and schemed their way to the top. Together, these five goblins make the mercantile machine run, organizing the extensive and complex Trade Fleets. The Trade Coalition is huge, far-reaching and massively complicated. In addition, numerous other, smaller goblin companies, created and run by entrepreneurs called moguls, operate throughout Azeroth. Perhaps the most famous of these smaller businesses is the Venture Company, founded and ruled by Mogul Razdunk. Goblins engage in any activity that earns them a profit. They traffic in legitimate dealings, including food, spices and textiles, as well as more esoteric and questionable wares, such as magic items and arms dealing. Goblins have no respect for nature and engage in deforestation and mining on vast scales (the Venture Company is particularly notorious for such activities). In addition, goblins run morally corrupt businesses such as smuggling and slave trading. While the Trade Coalition condones all such activities, goblin smugglers and slavers prefer to maintain low profiles — for obvious reasons. Goblins are mad but brilliant. Their technology is just as ingenious, if usually more volatile, than gnomish inventions. Goblins are also the best alchemists around, with the possible exception of the Forsaken. Goblin tinkers and alchemists are found throughout Kezan. As chaotic as it is, goblin society does have some order to it. Goblin barons serve as magistrates to run the trade princes' lands and holdings, and goblin captains command vessels for the Trade Fleets or for private merchants. Every city on the island is a bit like Ratchet on a larger scale. Geography Kezan is a tropical island, and the associated flora and fauna appear in the wilderness between cities. Palm trees are everywhere, and in the wild places tasty fruits and flowers can be found. Many tropical animals, including tigers and lots of bugs can also be found. Kezan has several natural bays, and the goblins have constructed at least small port towns in most of them. To the south, the elevation rises. Southern Kezan is volcanic, and several volcanoes constantly ooze lava into the ocean. Lava tubes and other geological tunnels and caves riddle the island. Goblins control just about everything on Kezan. People leave with less gold than they had when they came. Maps and subregions Other than the Undermine, notable locations include Mount Kajaro, an active volcano in the southern part of the island, Bilgewater Port on the northwestern coast, Edj on the northeastern coast, and Voodress Village, inhabited by trolls. The island of Kezan is located directly south of the Maelstrom, southwest of Zandalar. It cannot be seen on maps in the World of Warcraft but shows up in other maps in the Warcraft RPG. On the World of Warcraft Behind the Scenes DVD there was a map of the Isle of Kezan, which is above the Undermine, visible on a whiteboard. It shows: * Three transportation paths to: Booty Bay (by boat), Kul Tiras (by boat), and Ratchet (by zeppelin). Valgarde is also somehow connected. * What seems to be a lake in the center of the island, with rivers connecting it to both ports and Mount Kajaro. * Four coastal zones: "Resort Beach", "Savage Beach", "Black Beach", and "Rain Forest" * "Naga Gate" off the western coast. Notable characters The Trade Princes reside here, as does Mogul Razdunk (the founder and ruler of the Venture Trading Company), and Director Riddlevox (the leader of the goblin Tinkers' Union). Images File:Mount Kajaro.PNG See also * Lost Isles References External links * (Blizzplanet on Kezan and Undermine) * Category:Goblin territories Category:Islands Category:South Seas